Norfolk Virginian, January 19, 1890

Untitled

Transportation -- Railroad - OtherMoral -- VandalismSea -- Finfish - Catch : Other fish

Onancock.

Detective Childers, (of Norfolk) a special detective of the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad Company, who has been in Accomac several days, investigating and trying to find out who has been smashing the windows of several cars, has struck an important case. It seems that Childers run up with a negro named Jim Custis or Bosh, of Onley Station, and while trying to pump him as to who the person or persons were that were in the habit of breaking the car windows, elicited from Custis that he had on the 18th of November, seen a log on the track near Melfa Station, and that he had partly pulled it off and was afraid to entirely do it. The Detective suspecting Jim of something more, procured a warrant for his arrest from Squire Nelson, of Onancock, and had the negro arrested. At an examination Friday Custis stated that a party, (whose name he would not give publicly, and accordingly the court room was cleared) of negroes, placed a log on the railroad track on the night of November 18th, 1889, and intended to derail the train and rob it, but their hearts failing them after putting the log on the track they departed, leaving it there. The log came very near causing a smash up, and the circumstance was reported to headquarters.

Custis is held as a witness until the other parties are arrested. Detective Childers has gone to arrest the other negroes implicated in the affair.

A large quantity of fat backs have been caught in our waters lately; an unheard of thing at this time of year.